What Is It? DI?

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This small 5-star insignia came with a huge lot of Japanese Occ. made U.S. patches years ago. The stars have both prongs under the bluish gray cheesecloth backing and are sewn with light green thread on the front. The wool backing is the old Army shade of OD. Has anyone seen anything like it before? Possibly a cloth, sew-on DI?

Thanks,
Gary

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[VerKuilen Ager]

Looks to be the rank emblem of a 5-star general. Can't imagine MacArthur (the only Japan area 5-star) actually wearing something of such low quality but who knows all the stuff that the Japanese made up just for practice during the occupation. Here's a picture you might find interesting.
http://www.nightscribe.com/Military/...r_5starcar.htm

[GLM]

Looks to be the rank emblem of a 5-star general. Can't imagine MacArthur (the only Japan area 5-star) actually wearing something of such low quality but who knows all the stuff that the Japanese made up just for practice during the occupation. Here's a picture you might find interesting.
http://www.nightscribe.com/Military/...r_5starcar.htm

VerKuilen,

Thanks for the reply. I tend to agree with you on the emblem, but was hoping maybe it could be something more generic, like a cloth DI or possibly Japanese military. What is the word for crudish, well-made? While this isn't something I could see MacArthur wearing, it does have some pretty nice workmanship involved, but most likely made as a souvenir? BTW - I'd like to have that license plate in my collection!

Interestingly enough, this MacArthur "Imperial Guard" GHQ patch and scroll were in the same lot of Japanese made U.S. insignia. I believe these patches to be U.S. made, but they also have embroidery similar to what I tend to think of as Japanese Occupation. (Kurt A. - Are you looking at these to help determine U.S. or Japanese?). I don't collect Korean War era SSI's, but I encounter these GHQ Honor Guard scrolls about as often as the 40th ID "Ball of Fire" scrolls, so it just got tucked into the collection as a future trader.

Regards,
Gary

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